Kettering 4, York City 2

Listed under Law 12, the handball offence could not appear any clearer on paper – an infringement is committed, it reads, if a player “handles the ball deliberately”.

Unlike the convoluted and ever-changing offside law, there is no room for ambiguity.

Yet countless referees, when faced with the sight of a ball striking somebody’s hand in the penalty box, seemingly forget that insistence on intent and share the same compulsion to point to the spot.

Lincolnshire official Stephen Ross did just that at Rockingham Road on Saturday with the notion that Danny Parslow purposefully handled Alfie Potter’s hopeful high ball into the 18-yard area leaving nearby captain Mark Greaves holding his head and both sets of supporters scratching theirs on 53 minutes.

Gareth Seddon went on to beat City ’keeper Michael Ingham from 12 yards and the visitors, having earlier levelled the scores twice through Richard Brodie and Ben Purkiss, could not claw their way back into the game for a third time.

Instead, chief tormentor Iyseden Christie added a fourth goal, emulating the contribution of his striking partner Seddon by scoring for a second time. The final scoreline gave a somewhat misleading reflection of the match, with all four of Kettering’s on-target goal attempts finishing in the back of the net.

Mark Cooper’s men also failed to force a single corner during an afternoon in which, by contrast, the Minstermen were over-reliant on set-pieces in their efforts to secure a result.

Brodie and Purkiss both netted from dead-ball situations and the visitors created just two chances in open play – during stoppage time at the end of both halves.

As in previous away matches this season, Australian Daniel McBreen was employed as City’s lone central striker and he often cut an isolated figure. On-loan Grimsby winger Peter Bore drifted inside from the right intermittently but struggled to impose himself on proceedings, while Brodie was stranded on the opposite touchline far too often.

Simon Russell, meanwhile, tried valiantly to fill the hole between holding midfielders Greaves and Niall Henderson and McBreen without looking fully comfortable in the role.

A jittery defensive display also contributed to the visitors’ downfall.

The Minstermen fell behind on 20 minutes when Mark Robinson’s misdirected pass found Poppies right-back Nicky Eaden, who launched a 50-yard long ball upfield.

When the ball cannoned off Parslow’s back and fell for Christie, the former Kidderminster and Mansfield striker then wasted no time in beating Ingham with a thudding, rising shot into the roof of the Northern Ireland international’s net from 15 yards.

City equalised two minutes later when Russell’s deep corner from the left was retrieved by McBreen, who crossed back to the far post where Brodie headed high into the goal from two yards.

But Kettering were ahead again on 42 minutes when Christie’s clever lofted pass flicked off the head of an exposed David McGurk and Seddon raced behind a square City defence to shoot under the body of Ingham and into the ’keeper’s bottom right-hand corner from ten yards.

On the stroke of half-time, Henderson and McBreen combined to find Russell, but his low shot only required a routine save from Lee Harper and Christie also went close at the other end with a dipping shot on the turn 25 yards out. City boss Colin Walker sent his side out early for the second half and, within four minutes of the restart, Purkiss made it 2-2.

McBreen had his legs whipped from under him as he tried to turn past home midfielder Andre Boucaud 25 yards from goal.

Ross awarded the free-kick and, even though Brodie placed the ball down with great care, Purkiss stepped up to curl his shot over the wall and to the right of Harper.

The goal – Purkiss’ first in City colours – was the cue for a collective celebration, but the joy was shortlived when Parslow was penalised and Seddon beat Ingham, low down to the ’keeper’s left.

Shortly afterwards, John Dempster’s crude challenge on Robinson received a caution and Purkiss tried his luck from a second free-kick but, this time, his attempt lacked the power to trouble Harper and, within a minute, Christie had put the game beyond City.

The 31-year-old forward hung on the shoulder of City’s last defender McGurk before timing his run to collect a precise 65th-minute through ball by Boucaud after good work through the middle by Darren Wrack. He then deftly lifted the ball over an advancing Ingham with a coolness that throws into scrutiny Stevenage’s decision to loan him out after just one month at Broadhall Way.

Christie exited the action moments later, but the Minstermen never looked like matching his cutting edge.

Centre-back Guy Branston almost handed the visitors a lifeline, however, when he headed narrowly wide of his own goal.

Otherwise, Parslow saw a close-range attempt blocked bravely by former team-mate Chris Beardsley at the near post and substitute Craig Farrell blazed a 35-yard free-kick out of the ground before slicing off target from a similar distance at the death.

The result left Kettering with the only remaining unbeaten record in the Blue Square Premier and meant City failed to set a new club record for the longest undefeated start to a season.

With the strength of centre-backs Branston and Exodus Geohaghon, the guile of Wrack in midfield and the goal threat of Seddon and Christie, don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer before Kettering taste defeat.

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Did the referee get the handball decision right for the penalty?

Match report

Kettering 4 - Christie 20, 65; Seddon 43, 54 (pen)

York City 2 - Brodie 23; Purkiss 49

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire

Michael Ingham 5
Ben Purkiss 7
Danny Parslow 5
David McGurk 5
Mark Robinson 5
Peter Bore 5
Niall Henderson 5
Mark Greaves 5
Simon Russell 6
Richard Brodie 6
Daniel McBreen 6

Substitutions:

Onome Sodje (for Bore, 56) 5
Ben Wilkinson (for Russell, 67) 5
Craig Farrell (for McBreen, 67) 6
Subs not used: Mimms, McWilliams.

City’s star man: great way to open his City goalscoring account and solid while others around him struggled.

Kettering: Lee Harper, Nicky Eaden, Guy Branston, Exodus Geohaghon (John Dempster, 36), Tommy Jazczun, Alfie Potter (Brett Solkhon, 56), Darren Wrack, Andre Boucaud, Craig Westcarr, Iyseden Christie (Chris Beardsley, 70), Gareth Seddon. Subs not used: Jean-Paul Marna, Stuart Dorrill.

Yellow cards: Dempster 60.

Referee: Stephen Ross (Lincolnshire). Rating: looked out of his depth and puzzled everybody with his interpretation of a deliberate handball.

Attendance: 2,070 (374 from City).

Shot of the match: Christie’s rising drive for Kettering’s first goal.

Mistake of the match: Referee Ross’ baffling penalty decision.

Move of the match: The intricate weaving through City’s midfield by Wrack and Boucaud that saw Christie bag his second goal.

Shots on target: Kettering 4 York 4

Shots off target: Kettering 2 York 2

Corners: Kettering 0 York 7

Fouls conceded: Kettering 16 York 7

Offsides: Kettering 7 York 2

City player watch: Ben Purkiss

Goal attempts on target: 2
Goal attempts off target: 0
Blocked goal attempts: 0
Passes to own player: 32
Passes to opposition: 10
Crosses to own player: 2
Crosses to opposition: 9
Pass completion rate: 64.2 per cent
Dribbles ball retained: 2
Dribbles ball lost: 4
Dribble completion rate: 33.3 per cent
Headers: 14
Tackles: 5
Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 4
Fouls won: 2
Fouls conceded: 0
Offsides: 0
Yellow cards: 0
Final summary: Ben Purkiss was heavily involved in the game, as is illustrated by his high pass count. His goal was the biggest positive on a poor afternoon for City and he also played 11 crosses into the box, although he will be disappointed that only two found team-mates. Purkiss also proved his worth in the air by winning 14 headers and was clean in the tackle, failing to commit a single foul.